Challenge Cup Final Preview

The Challenge Cup Final is broadcast live into Australia from 11pm-2am AEST on Fox Sports 2, and live into New Zealand from 1:25am-3:30am Sunday morning on Sky Sport 2.

Hull FC full-back Motu Tony has failed to recover from a knee injury and will miss Saturday's Challenge Cup final.

Half-back Richard Horne has been named in Richard Agar's 19-man squad but has only a slight chance of playing after recovering from a serious neck injury.

St Helens prop Jason Cayless misses out at Wembley because of a knee injury sustained at Huddersfield on Sunday.

Saints face an anxious wait over the fitness of Great Britain prop Maurie Fa'asavalu (hamstring).

Coach Daniel Anderson, who, like Hull coach Richard Agar will not name his starting XIII until an hour before kick-off, was not optimistic about Fa'asavalu's chances.

"I would be more confident if Maurie had done a training session with us but he still hasn't trained with the team since the semi-finals," he said.

New Zealand forward Cayless limped off just five minutes into Sunday's 40-22 win at the Giants, so Anderson is likely to name Nick Fozzard as his replacement.

Five members of his likely Wembley line-up were rested at the Giants - Paul Wellens, Matt Gidley, Leon Pryce, Jon Wilkin and James Roby - while two others, Sean Long and James Graham, played for just half the game.

Anderson said all seven players would be fit to play against Hull and revealed that club captain Paul Sculthorpe, who played a full match against the Giants, would also be available.

In his 10th and final year at Super League leaders Saints, Sculthorpe missed last year's final against Catalans Dragons with an Achilles injury and has not played in the competition this season.

Australian back-rower Chris Flannery and former Wigan prop Bryn Hargreaves are also set to make their Wembley debuts after missing out last year.

Captain Keiron Cunningham says he is determined to help Saints to a third straight Challenge Cup win because he fears his the club's reign could soon come to an end.

"You put yourself on such a platform and everybody is trying to pull it from underneath you," he said.

"Every year is tougher and tougher because we set ourselves standards that we always try to better and the competition is getting tougher.

"We'd like to win every trophy and be a part of every big game but I think it will happen less and less in the future.

"We will just take it with open arms at the minute and enjoy every appearance that we do make in major finals."

Hull coach Agar says he is prepared to take a "calculated" risk with his team, who have endured a particularly difficult season, in order to upset the hot favourites.

Horne has not played since April because of a career-threatening neck injury and fellow half-back Adam Dykes has only played once since the semi-final because of a knee injury, but both remain in contention.

"The players know the team but we've another training session yet to negotiate and I don't want to tempt fate, knowing what we've been through this year," said Agar.

"It goes without saying that Richard's not where we wanted him to be but his neck's fine and the work he's done in three or four weeks is tremendous.

"We're picking a team that we think can win the game and, if we feel we need to take a risk, we'll take it. There are no second chances.

"We'd take one risk but we wouldn't take two."

Hull's troubled season has seen them languish in the lower reaches of the Super League all year, been chronically undermined by injuries, change coach, and face calls to be kicked out of the Challenge Cup for fielding an ineligible player (Jamie Thackray) in earlier rounds.

"It's been as bad as it gets," said captain Lee Radford. "Roller-coaster is probably a bit of an understatement.

"I'm just really pleased we can finish the season on a bit of a high after reaching the cup final.

"If we can get that result it will probably put the disastrous league form well and truly behind us."

Todd Byrne (knee) and Garreth Carvell (groin) have had fitness concerns but make Hull's final 19 but Paul King (ankle) was left out of the squad.

There will be a minute's silence before the final for former Great Britain international Don Fox, who died recently.

CARNEGIE CHALLENGE CUP FINAL
Venue: Wembley Stadium Date: Saturday 30 August Kick-off: 1430 BST Coverage: Live on BBC One (and streamed live on this website in UK), BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra (with audio on this website in UK), BBC Radio Humberside 95.9 FM and online at bbc.co.uk/humber and BBC Radio Merseyside 1485 MW, DAB Digital and online at bbc.co.uk/liverpool.